


talking bird

by lullebelle



Category: The Hobbit (2012), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-17
Updated: 2013-04-17
Packaged: 2017-12-08 19:12:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/765007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lullebelle/pseuds/lullebelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thorin says he’s sending a friend over to talk to Nori about tagging stop signs. Nori isn’t home, so he talks to Ori instead. Dori doesn’t expect Ori to talk back.</p><p>Or: Dori is the best big brother, Nori is a little shit, and Ori is supposedly mute. </p><p>Written for a prompt on the Hobbit Kink-Meme.</p>
            </blockquote>





	talking bird

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: _Little Ori has never said a word in his life. He's not stupid, Dori knows his little brother is a very bright kid. So he must be mute, right?_
> 
>  
> 
> _But one day, Mister Dwalin comes along. Probably to ask where Nori is, because he has to take him to the station. Then he sees Ori, sitting on the ground with his colored wax pens and paper, looking at Dwalin with big, round eyes._
> 
>  
> 
> _"And what is your name, little one?"_  
>  _".....Ori."_
> 
>  
> 
> _Dori nearly faints._  
>  _Bonus points: After Dwalin leaves, Ori doesn't stop talking about him for ages._
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> honestly, i feel like i failed to do this adorable prompt justice. also, everyone should know that my first draft had many dori feelings, but they almost killed me so i did some revisions. 
> 
> my headcanon for this fic is that dori, nori, and ori's parents died when they were younger and dori ended up with the house and custody of the kids. he does the best he can and drinks a lot of tea to cope.

Nori is a good kid. He's just having a rough go right now. 

At least, that's what Dori tries telling Thorin over the phone when his cousin calls him to tell him he caught Nori tagging stop signs. Again. 

"I caught him, Dori." Thorin sounds as exasperated and frustrated as Dori feels.

"I know, Thorin." Dori sighs. 

"He can't keep doing things like this. He's getting to the age where he could really get into some serious trouble."

Dori rubs his temples where his headache is starting to throb. "I've tried to talk to him about it, but he just clams up and refuses to tell me anything."

"Do you want me to talk to him?"

"That would make things worse," Dori groans. "You're not just family. You're a cop-"

"Chief of Police-" Thorin interrupts. 

"Exactly," Dori huffs. "Can you imagine how humiliating it would be to get a lecture not only from your family member or cop, but your family member who is the Chief of Police?"

Thorin is silence for a moment before he begrudgingly says, "Alright, I see your point. Someone does need to talk to him, though. Leaving it alone isn't going to improve the situation."

"But what if talking about it makes it worse?"

"Then at least you can say you tried."

Dori remains firm. "You aren't going to talk to him."

"I wasn't thinking about me. Do you remember Dwalin?"

Rubbing his forehead, Dori replies, "Vaguely? Why?"

"You've met him before, but you were younger. He's a friend and he's on the force. I could have him sit Nori down and explain some of the consequences of his actions."

Dori's headache goes from a four to a twenty in two seconds flat. "I don't know, Thorin. I'm not sure that's really what he needs."

"... I'll have him stop by after Nori gets out of school tomorrow."

Thorin hangs up before anything else can be said and Dori groans. He really needs an aspirin or a cup of chamomile. Or both.

-

The problem with someone coming over to talk to Nori, Dori muses, is that Nori actually has to be at home in order for it to work. It's past three and if Nori was on his way home, he would have arrived by now, which means he's with his friends and probably won't be home until after dinner. 

Thorin didn't specify what time Dwalin was stopping by, so Dori keeps an ear open for the doorbell and leaves another voicemail telling Thorin that Nori isn't home so he should tell his friend not to come. 

Dori has just ended the call when there's a knock at the door that sounds like an ax on wood. Placing the phone on the kitchen table, he walks down the hallway - looking in on Ori, who is laying on his stomach on the living room floor coloring something in his drawing pad - to the front door. As soon as he opens it, he remembers Dwalin. He wonders how he could have forgotten Dwalin in the first place.

He's the bald one with the tattoos and beard, who looks like he could kill you with his hands. Dori makes a mental note to leave another message for Thorin, but this time asking why in the world he thought sending Dwalin over to, no doubt, intimidate a fourteen year old with some simple rebellious tendencies was a good idea. 

"Hello."

"Er," Dori says intelligently. "Mister Dwalin?"

"Aye."

Ever polite, Dori steps to the side and gestures for Dwalin to step through the doorway. "Um, please, come in." 

"Thorin said he wanted me to talk to his cousin."

Dori really, really hates Thorin right now. "Yes, well, there might have been some misunderstanding between us. I was telling him I didn't know what to do about my brother, who has been acting up, but I don't know if having a police officer talk to him would really be the best thing. He's a good lad, really, and I wouldn't want to scare him. He's just gone through a rough time the last few years and I think he just needs some time. He's not even home right now." Dwalin is staring at him from under his bushy eyebrows as Dori sputters to a stop. "I'm really sorry you came all this way. I tried calling Thorin, but he didn't answer and I don't have your number."

Dwalin still hasn't said anything and Dori feels his face flush. "Would you like some tea?"

That gets a reaction out of Dwalin. It's not much, but a furrowing of his bushy eyebrows is better than the staring. "I just feel bad about you having to come here, so the least I can do is get you something to drink."

"Well, I wouldn't want to intrude-"

"Oh, no!" Dori assures him. "It's fine, really. I was just about to make a snack for my other brother, so it wouldn't be any trouble."

Dwalin hesitantly shrugs out of his coat and hands it to Dori. He's still in his uniform and when Dori sees a gun strapped to his side, he curses Thorin all over again. 

Ori is still coloring in the living room when Dori walks in, Dwalin following behind him. He looks up and sits back on his feet as Dori gestures for Dwalin to sit down. Ori gives a questioning look and Dori clears his throat. "This is Mister Dwalin. He's here to talk to Nori, but since Nori isn't here he's going to have some tea with us." Ori wrinkles his nose. "No tea for you, I know. Would you like some cookies instead?"

Ori gives a satisfied nod, looks over at Dwalin once more, and lays himself down on the carpet again. 

Dori turns to Dwalin. "Is there a specific kind of tea you like?"

Dwalin shrugs. "I'll take anything you have."

"Is it alright if I leave him here?" Dori asks, nodding to the boy on the floor. 

"Oh, aye. He doesn't seem like he's too much trouble."

Dori feels a bubble of pride swell up in his chest. "He's a good lad."

The kitchen is across the living room and he keeps an eye on Ori as he puts the kettle on the stove and rummages through the cupboards for an extra tins of tea. Dori's favorite is chamomile, but it's not everyone's and he knows he has some green tea _somewhere._

-

"What's your name, lad?" Dwalin asks and the boy looks up from his picture to stare at him. 

Just as Dwalin thinks he's not going to respond, the boy opens his mouth and quietly replies with, "... Ori."

Dwalin lifts his eyebrows. "Ori, you say?" The lad nods shyly. "That's a good name."

Ori shrugs and fiddles with the crayon in his hands. "My mum named me after my grandda, I think."

Dwalin nods. "I was named after my aunt." Ori looks up and gives him a shy smile. "Not that that's a bad thing, mind you. My aunt is a very scary woman. The one time I complained about my name in front of her, she hit me with a shoe."

Ori giggles and sits up. "She did?"

Dwalin laughs. "Aye. I still have a scar." Ori gives him a look of disbelief. "It's true, lad. If you don't believe me, you can see for yourself."

Ori climbs to his feet and Dwalin leans forward so the top of his head is on display. "Where's the scar?" Ori asks and Dwalin feels along the crown of his head until it reaches a line of raised skin. 

"You see where my finger is?"

"Yeah."

"That's where it is."

Dwalin straightens and Ori is staring at him with wide eyes. "Did your aunt really do that?"

"Aye. It's not the only time I've ever been hit with a shoe either. After that day, I never complained about my name again."

"I like your name."

"Thank you, laddie."

The kettle in the whistles and Dori gives an exclaimation of, "I found it!"

Ori goes back to his drawing pad and minute later, Dori comes in with a tray in his hands. He sets a plate of cookies down beside Ori and hands Dwalin a china cup that looks far too small and delicate in his hands. He truthfully doesn't like tea, but he takes a sip anyway and grimaces at the bitter taste. He doesn't like tea, but he doesn't like green tea particularly. It tastes like dirt. Ori is looking at him and grimaces back. They smile at each other and Ori looks back down, flipping to a new page and picking up a blue crayon.

Dori settles in the chair besides the couch and takes a sip of his tea. He asks Dwalin about working with Thorin and how long have they been friends and has Dori really met him before? So funny, he doesn't remember at all, but he was rather young. 

Half an hour later, Dwalin clears his throat and stands. Only a quarter of his tea is gone, but he's had enough tea until the next time Balin visits and insists that he have a cup with his older brother. "I should really be going," he says.

Dori rises. "Of course."

Dwalin waves to the boy on the floor. "It was nice to meet you, laddie."

Dori walks him to the front door and apologizes for Dwalin having to come by. 

"It's no problem," he says, and adds, even though he really doesn't mean it, "Thanks for the tea."

"Any time," Dori says. 

Dwalin shrugs on his coat and is about to walk out the door when feet patter against the hardwood floor in the hallway and Ori slids to a stop in front of him. There's a piece of paper in his hand he hands it to Dwalin without a word. Dwalin holds it in his hands and laughs. There are two figures. He assumes one is him and the other is his aunt. At least, that's what he assumes from the deadly looking high heel in the figure's hand. 

"Thank you, lad," he says and he truly means it. Ori smiles at him and turns on his heels to go back to the living room. Dori looks surprised and Dwalin lets him see the picture. "I told him a story about my aunt."

"Oh," Dori replies. "Ori does not normally take to strangers so well."

Dwalin folds the picture and slips into the pocket of his jacket. "I've spent plenty of time around Fili and Kili. I've gotten used to kids."

Dori almost tells him that it's not about that, but he closes his mouth without saying anything and thanks Dwalin for coming over. 

\- 

Nori calls twenty minutes later to ask if he can spend the night at his friend's house. It's a school night, but Dori is so dazed he answers yes immediately and Nori gets off the phone before he can change his mind.

-

"Dori?"

Dori almost drops the casserole in his hands. Ori is sitting at the table with a crease in his forehead, head tilted as he watches Dori make dinner. "Y-yes?" Dori asks, not entirely sure if he heard what he thinks he heard.

"What does Mister Dwalin do?"

Yes, those were definitely sounds and words coming out of his little brother's mouth. "Dwalin?" Dori sputters, still processing that his brother is speaking. _Speaking._ Speaking actual words. Out of his mouth. With _sounds._

"Yeah, what does Mister Dwalin do? Does he do the same thing as Thorin?"

The only good advice that any doctor ever told Dori concerning Ori's situation comes to mind. 

_Treat him like normal._

"Well, I think that some parts of their jobs might be very close." He sets the casserole on the table and checks on the bowl of corn in the microwave, trying to be as nonchalant as possible, but eyeing Ori out of the corner of his eyes. Ori doesn't notice. He's too caught up in his own thoughts. 

"Does Mister Dwalin catch bad guys like in movies?" 

"Maybe. Things in real life aren't always like the movies."

Ori thought about that. "Do you think he's ever shot someone?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Has Thorin ever shot anyone."

"I don't think so."

Ori is silent for a minute and it's a long, agonizing minute for Dori. "I bet Mister Dwalin has shot loads of people. He's really tough, you know. He told me he liked my name and said that his aunt hit him with a shoe once for saying something bad about his name because he was named after her and he even has a scar and he showed me. It's on his head, next to his tattoos. Why do you think he has tattoos on his head?"

Dori has to sit down. Ori continues anyway. "I wonder if he has anymore tattoos. I think there were some on his hands. Do tattoos hurt? I think they would hurt a lot. But Mister Dwalin is really strong, so he probably wouldn't even cry."

Ori talks all through dinner, mainly about Dwalin. Dori hardly eats anything. His stomach is fluttering and he can't stop smiling as his brother rattles on.

"Mister Dwalin reminds me of a knight," Ori says after his bath. Dori sits down behind him and rubs at Ori's hair with a towel. 

"A knight? How so?" Dori is trying to encourage him to keep talking. Hopefully, Ori will and won't ever, ever stop.

"He's really strong and tough. I bet he could kill a dragon. With an ax. Or his hands."

"His hands? Really?" 

Ori nods. "Yeah, he could punch it on the nose. Then it'll let him ride it."

"But what about killing it?"

Ori thought for a moment. "No, he would ride it instead."

"Where would he ride it?"

"Into battle. He would have his dragon breathe fire on everyone and win the battle."

"That is very impressive."

-

Dori eventually wrestles Ori into bed, but twenty minutes later Dori still can't find it in his heart to stop the stream of words that come out of his brother's mouth. It's only when Ori gives a great yawn that Dori laughs and kisses him on the head. "It's time for bed, but you can tell me all about it in the morning." Ori mumbles something sleepily and he's already asleep by the time Dori has reached the door. 

Dori honestly wants to keep Ori up all night to hear him talk, but " _treat him like normal_ ," cycles through his mind, which means regular bedtime.

He goes downstairs and makes himself another cup of tea. The light on his phone is on, telling him he has a message. Thorin's voice fills his ear as he takes his first sip. 

"Just wanted to know how the talk with Nori went. Call me back."

Dori snorts into his cup. Thorin obviously doesn't check his own messages. Dori considers calling him back, but it's getting late and Dori just needs to sit for a while. After his tea is gone, he locks up the house and climbs wearily up the stairs. 

Dori is exhausted by the time he changes into his pajamas and slids under the sheets of his own bed, but he also feels jittery. He doesn't want to sleep. If he's honest, he'll admit that he's worried that if he goes to bed, he'll wake up the next day to find Ori as silent as he's been every day before since he was born. 

Dori rolls onto his stomach and slides his hands under his pillows. His fingers brush paper and he pulls out what he recognizes as a piece of paper from Ori's drawing pad. 

Dori recognizes himself, Nori, and Ori. But they're holding things that may be axes and Dwalin is in the background, riding either a unicorn or a horse that he accidentally marked with crayon. Dori can't be sure. 

Underneath, in child's scrawl is " _i want to talk to you tomroe_ " with a shaky smiley face beside it.

Dori smiles and makes a mental note to call Dwalin and ask him to come over for dinner as soon as he can.


End file.
